South Charlotte Today

CHARLOTTE — The Panthers have added Jordan Matthews back to their 53-man roster following his performance throughout the offseason. The team signed the veteran tight end from the practice squad to the active roster on Thursday, alongside other practice squad adjustments.

Matthews, 32, provides depth that may be necessary for next week's opener as Tommy Tremble (hamstring) and Ian Thomas (calf) are dealing with injuries. Tremble indicated Wednesday he expected to play, but Thomas was absent from practice. Prior to Matthews' addition, rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders was the only other tight end on the roster.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales praised Matthews' intangibles when adding him to the practice squad. Matthews, originally a record-setting wide receiver at Vanderbilt and a second-round pick of the Eagles in 2014, transitioned to tight end later in his career.

"What a great achievement for Jordan, to really redefine his career as a tight end, to be reliable, to make plays for us in the preseason games, all camp," Canales said. "He was out there every day... On top of that, from a leadership standpoint... The professionalism, really."

To accommodate Matthews on the 53-man roster, rookie defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy was placed on injured reserve and will be out for at least four weeks but can return later this year.

The Panthers also added four new players to their practice squad: cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr., outside linebacker Thomas Incoom, outside linebacker Tarron Jackson, and tight end Feleipe Franks.

Johnson Jr., 28, has played in 68 games with 19 starts over five seasons with the Texans, Titans, and Saints. Incoom spent last season with the Broncos after making the team as an undrafted free agent. Jackson has been with the Eagles since being drafted in 2021. Franks joined during training camp due to multiple tight end injuries and made a positive impression.

On Wednesday, they signed Matthews along with running back Mike Boone; safety Alex Cook; linebacker Chandler Wooten; defensive linemen T.J. Smith and Walter Palmore; outside linebacker Kenny Dyson; guard Mason Brooks; and quarterback Jack Plummer to the practice squad.

These moves bring the Panthers' practice squad total to 12 players. Teams can sign up to 16 players plus one international exemption.